Disappearances from records There are other reasons that people's names disappear from a record other than death. They could have moved to another county, state or even to another country. They could also have gotten married. Another possible cause of sudden disappearances may be attributed to geographical and political boundaries, which might have changed during the time your ancestor lived. Look through stuff Checking behind mirrors that are old and worn could also lead to unexpected family genealogy discoveries. Look for any messages that may have been taped. Tell family what you are up to Visiting or calling relatives is a good idea as they could be more than willing to help in your search. To distinguish the 10 Johns from each other, their father's names could be used. For example, John the son of Paul, John the son of Andrew, John the son of James. Later on, these identifying last names evolved into their shortened version: John Paulson, John Anderson and John Jameson. John the son of William (Williamson) later on became 'Williams'. The fact of the matter is that these centers are branches of the family history library of the Latter day Saints which is considered as the main and central repository for a lot of genealogical info the Church missionaries were able to collect. The purpose of the family history center is to help eliminate any need to have to travel to Utah, Salt Lake City just to use the collection records. GeneaNet is also on this list. These give tips on how to start doing family history work and they point to other database search engines that could be as useful. Cemetery search (list of more than 8,000 cemeteries around the globe)- African-American searchers have a separate search engine for their cemeteries. Make extra copies Any source material you gather is best to be photocopied especially if they are source printed materials. File them all in folders with appropriate labels such as the name of the relative. Include the details of their birth dates and dates of death so as to be able to distinguish them between other family members who may have similar names.